The history of RESET HTML 2.0 appeared in 1995. At that time, I was working in usability of forms – and I still am. But I didn’t have email or an internet connection. So I think it was remarkably niceContinue reading… Avoid putting a reset button on your web forms
Category: Design
Label placement in forms – and other time-consuming controversies
A presentation on label placement in forms, for the Technical Communication Summit in Seattle, April 2010. Amongst the time-consuming controversies we look at are left and right alignment, labels above and below fields, how to handle required fields, colons, andContinue reading… Label placement in forms – and other time-consuming controversies
Search is now normal behaviour – what do we do about that?
What information do visitors search for? What are “good” search results? What are the differences between internal search and external? How do users interact with the Google results page? And what does all of this mean for website design? ReportingContinue reading… Search is now normal behaviour – what do we do about that?
Helping a user choose from a very large list
Sometimes it is necessary for users to select a precise entry from a very large list. For example, one client described the need (for compliance purposes) to have users choose an ‘Occupation’ code from a list of almost 1000. SheContinue reading… Helping a user choose from a very large list
Questions about forms
This selection of questions and answers about forms first appeared on the website to accompany my book (with Gerry Gaffney) Forms That Work: designing web forms for usability. We’d thought of calling the section “Frequently Asked Questions” but we thought weContinue reading… Questions about forms
Can I use an asterix to indicate optional fields?
I was asked recently: ‘Our form has many required fields and few optional fields. We think that we should use an asterisk to indicate the optional fields. Do you agree?’ It makes sense but it is also a bad idea.Continue reading… Can I use an asterix to indicate optional fields?
Usable forms
How can we design forms that are easier to read? In this presentation to the Media Trust I highlighted problems in both the ‘conversation’ and ‘appearance’ of some typical forms – and shared tips for improving the experience of users.Continue reading… Usable forms
Why we need a ‘qualification brain’
Why we need a ‘qualification brain’: from product catalogue to dominant narrative – enabling web-enquirers to understand and navigate through a flexible but complex curriculum This paper for the 23rd ICDE World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education, Maastricht,Continue reading… Why we need a ‘qualification brain’
Lessons from Celebrity Chefs: heuristic inspection or user-centred design?
A couple of nights ago, I was watching Heston Blumenthal cooking his ‘Roman Feast’. Blumenthal is a proponent of ‘molecular gastronomy’. His Fat Duck restaurant has been described as the best restaurant in the world, and is famous for itsContinue reading… Lessons from Celebrity Chefs: heuristic inspection or user-centred design?
Dealing with international addresses
You’re working on an international website. What’s the best way to ask people from all over the world for their addresses?” Useful resources for international addresses Graham Rhind’s free ebook Better data quality from your web form is a thorough and thoughtfulContinue reading… Dealing with international addresses